HARRISBURG – Sen. Wayne Langerholc, Jr. (R-35), chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee, held a public hearing to receive testimony about vehicle emissions and electrification.
“Our air quality has significantly improved, yet the Wolf Administration’s response is to expand the current vehicle emissions program and require more regulations on Pennsylvanians,” said Sen. Langerholc. “When our constituents make progress towards cleaner air, we should be rewarding them with common-sense reforms – not additional penalties.”
Sen. Langerholc has been working to address the outdated vehicle emissions program.
- In 2017-18, he introduced legislation that led to the non-partisan Joint State Government Commission recommending the removal of seven counties from the annual vehicle emissions test: Blair, Cambria, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Lycoming, Mercer and Westmoreland.
- In 2019-20, he introduced Senate Bill 744 to remove these seven counties from the vehicle emissions program, which passed the Senate of Pennsylvania.
- In 2021-22, he introduced Senate Bill 777 to exempt the five newest model year vehicles from the emissions test since they pass 99.65 percent of the time. He intends to introduce a second bill to provide a reduced vehicle registration fee for these seven counties if the Biden Administration and Wolf Administration fail to deregulate Federal and State requirements. Last, he is exploring additional legislative action, as more reforms are needed.
Speakers during the hearing included representatives from the Electrification Coalition, Pennsylvania Motor Truck Association, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and the Department of Environmental Protection.
“Electric vehicles are the future. We must pass proactive legislation to ensure that we stay ahead of this burgeoning industry and ensure Pennsylvania is a national leader. This will be done through prudent investment while not permitting overburdening regulations,” said Sen. Langerholc.
The hearing can be viewed on the Committee’s website: https://transportation.pasenategop.com/trans-092721/
Contact: Nolan Ritchie, nritchie@pasen.gov